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How brave are you really? would you throw caution into the wind and follow your heart? Pravina Chetty did, at 20 she left her family and her country and ended up teaching English, dancing and DJing all around the world…this is the inspiring story of living by the beat of her own drum…

(People like this speak to my soul, experiences over expenses and passion over possessions)

I often forget how much I have done, seen or experienced until I look back, usually at a random facebook album or when I hear a song that triggers a memory.

The first real jump was when I dropped out of university to become a DJ. As a second year student, I day dreamed constantly about decks, vinyls and house tracks. It was more than a mere obsession. It took over my soul until I eventually dropped out and ended up moving to Taiwan. The motivation at that time was to teach English for a year and save up money for decks.

I got to Taiwan and year one had it’s fair share of ups and downs, being 20 at the time and moving to the other side of the world might not have been the smartest move to some people but to me it sounded great. Independence and the freedom to work on the dream. One year turned into three amazing years of teaching English, traveling South East Asia, dancing hip hop and yes of course, I got to fulfil my dj dream.

After three years, I decided to jump again. This time I moved back home to Port Elizabeth and back in with my parents. Now anyone who has ever moved out and moved back in with their parents will understand the struggle, the constant echo of ‘how did I end up here” running through your mind. Though it was what I needed at the time, a good base while I finished my almost forgotten degree. This time I was that student who maxed out library cards at almost every library in the city. The drive to get this degree and go fix the world was so strong that staying up until 5am to write papers after I got home from work, became normal.

Fast Forward to the end of the Bachelor’s degree, my mind, heart and soul was set on traveling the world and dancing salsa. But where and how and of course, with what money! Then like magic, I ended up in Florida working as a waitress in a country club. That first six months had myself and my family wondering if I had become truly insane. About to graduate University with a degree to work as a waitress in a country club, not exactly the idea my parents had in mind for me. This worked out because after that six months, I got another job in Chicago where there was a salsa congress. My passion fueled my three years stint in the states, to basically work so that I could dance and travel. Some say madness, okay most people say madness. After a fantastic three year adventure and dancing with some of the best in the world, I did it again. In the middle of my visa process for that sort after H1 7 year visa. I decided to leave. I needed to be home for the Cape Town salsa congress. So I packed up and left. I came back to South Africa with the intention of staying for 6 months before moving to Mexico. Six months became a year and now I am on year two.

As of this moment I am on jump number …I am not sure what number anymore, but I just quit my job this month and am on a new adventure in Marketing and inspiration, with a massive passion for all things travel. If you had told me at 16 that this was the life I was going to live, I would have laughed in your face. I have learnt that I can plan my perfect life, but my plans never go as I plan them. However they seem always work out so much better than anything that I could ever imagined.